Soulless (Book #2 of Hunted)

Blissful Emptiness

"So...pretending?" Phoebe repeated and Zane looked at her for a long moment staring until she actually began to squirm and she mumbled, "Yeah, you're Zane alright. Anton blinked more." I laughed softly and he managed to crack a smile, but it quickly faded and he shook his head.

"There's no way I'd be able to fool him. He knows me--" he shook his head again, "Him too well. He'll see right through me." We were all silent for a moment before I sighed and said, "I guess I can try to convince him to hel--"

"No," Zane said crossing his arms over his chest and I looked at him. He shook his head and continued, "If you let him in the house and he finds out what you did he'll kill you. He'll kill you and he'll find a way to let Anton out and-and he'll...he'll-" I rushed forward and took his hands in mine saying, "Those are the only two options. Either I tell him the truth and convince him to help. Or you...you pretend you're still Anton and we..." I didn't know.

"Well we've got about four and a half hours to figure it out ladies and gentlemen so snap to it," Phoebe said and I grimaced. She spun around and started up the stairs and I looked back at Zane. I touched the cold metal cuffs around his wrists and he whispered, "Leave them on...just a little bit longer. To make sure."

I frowned digging my fingertips under the tight cuffs and I leaned forward pressing my lips gently against his trying to ignore the taste of blood. He pulled away first and I saw his eyes, the blackness growing and receding as my scent stabbed at him.

"So what should we do?" I asked and his brow furrowed. He glanced away from me and up the basement stairs saying, "First I think you should answer the door." I cocked my head to the side and asked, "Huh?" Just then the doorbell rang. I looked back at him and he said, "It's not Keegan. It's...three people. Human, I think. I can hear their heart beats, but I...I can't smell them over you."

I nodded and took a few steps away from him before stopping and looking at him saying, "I'm really glad you're back, Zane." He smiled at me and replied, "You make me glad to be back, Lorelei." I smiled back and then turned to run up the stairs.

When I got to the kitchen Phoebe wasn't there so I called, "Pheebs? Did you get the door?" I heard voices and then, "Yeah, Lor. There are some people here for you." I walked through the living room and down the hall where I saw Phoebe standing just inside the door with two adults. A woman in her late twenties with light copper colored hair and a rugged middle-aged man with dark hair streaked with grey. Their toes just barely crossed the threshold; far enough inside to prove they weren't vampires, but far enough outside to be polite.

I glanced outside the door and saw a dark blue car with tinted windows. I could just make out the outline of a person sitting in the back seat of the car. I glanced at the two adults and asked, "Can I help you?" They both looked me up and down and the man said, "My name is Joshua Owens and this is Liza Wilkins. Are you Lorelei Byrnes?"

I nodded slowly and replied, "Yes, why?" I vaguely noticed the mechanical whir of a car window rolling down and I felt something like the crackle of electricity tingling in the air. Phoebe was suddenly blasted off her feet and back into the house skidding along the floor and laying there unconscious.

"Hey!" I shouted spinning back around to look at the two people inside my door. Before I could say anything more a black fabric bag was shoved over my head and I was once again greeted by the sickly sweet smell of chloroform and the blissful emptiness of unconsciousness.